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Swiss-Piedmont War
Prelude On August 6, 2017, Piedmont applied to declare war on Switzerland their dissatisfaction with the civil war in Switzerland, as well as the communist takeover and ensuing chaos. It was accepted on August 7. First Blows Following the Piedmontese declaration of war the various factions of the Swiss Civil War began to consolidate around the largest faction. The Communists. The Swiss and Piedmontese forces gathered and built fortifications along the border. However this tense period was merely the calm before the storm. The Swiss forces found a weakness in the Piedmontese defences. An outpost garrissoned by an inexperienced commander and his poor disciplined regiment. The Swiss forces broke through at this point, butchering the inebriated garisson following a celebration the previous night. The Swiss force poured through before Piedmontese forces managed to construct a new line of defence to hold them back once more. They managed to reach the French-Piedmont border and succeeded in cutting off the western most provinces from aid, effectively dividing the nation in two. Seperated from central command by hostile Swiss occupied land, it is unknown for how long the western Piedmontese forces can hold on. Interlude Following the collapse of the Piedmontese defence line a stalemate developed. Neither side gained or lost much territory during this time and conflict was limited to minor border raids and skirmishes. The Swiss forces were content to build up their foothold in the occupied land and the Piedmontese forces were in too much of a disarray to mount a large offensive. The nation of Switzerland during this time saw the decline of the communist faction and the rise of a democratic faction. This new leadership offered Piedmont a white peace through which borders would revert to as they were prior to the war. The Leader of Piedmont Benito Svedini refused these terms and the war continued. The Piedmont forces were granted passage the German lands to open up a new front to the war but they were unable to make use of this as forces had to be deployed to the west after France allowed Swiss forces passage through their borders. Genoa wishing to avoid the threat of an invasion by either force promised to allow troops from both sides of the conflict to pass through their borders. This decision is what ended the stalemate and allowed a second major offensive by Swiss forces in an attempt to end the war by seizing the Piedmontese capital of Turin. Battle for Turin (8/17/17) On August 17, Genoa granted Switzerland passage through rural areas of Genoa. The same offer was extended to Piedmont, however they denied, citing a concern that they would disrupt the Genoese population living in the areas they would pass through. With the Swiss forces being able to pass through the Genoese lands, they flanked the Piedmont defense line and went straight for the capital> The Swiss army strategically used their air force to tactically invade by paratrooping into the nation. This act was only partly successful because several of their aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed, while the remainder lost their crew to snipers and crashed. Without air support, the Swiss forces were uncoordinated and were wiped out in several ambushes. A last stand was made in the Turin town square, but they were eventually wiped out to the last man. Among the dead was found the unnamed leader of Switzerland himself. (Cuckoo died and lost his character in the last battle) The corpse was mutilated and humiliated. The head was removed and placed on display on a pole in the town square. The Piedmontese forces manning the defense line took advantage of the diverted Swiss forces and reclaimed their lost land. The besieged Western Piedmontese who had been cut off by the occupied land received aid and fresh troops from the south. Battle of Zurich (8/20/17) Soon after this, a new Piedmontese cavalry regiment attacked the noethern city of Zurich. Passing through German land they were able to flank and surprise the local defence garrisson. They utitlised tactics based on those used by Polish Hussars. The Swiss were unprepared for this and were massacred. Prior to the battle the Swiss government fearing such a move had transported much of the treasury and resources to the more defendable city of Bern, where they hope to make a final stand against the Piedmontese invaders. Battle of Bern (8/26/17) In a surprising victory, the communist Swiss army was able to defend the city of Bern, and eventually retook their capital, Zurich. They took Piedmont's leader, Benito Svedini, hostage. The Battle Of Domodossola (8/29/17) "The Battle of Domodossola" by robonzdeta - 8/29/17 "In a flawless victory a division of the Swiss Guard has occupied the province of Domodossola. Although the province was well fortified the defenders only put up a brief resistance before being smashed by well aimed Communist artillery, celebration is had in the towns of Zurich and Bern as the fascist threat is slowly being neutralized." Stalemate and Peace Following many years of conflict a stalemate had formed. Thousands died for no reason other than the orders of distant masters who remained largely unaffected by the war and many more starved. The very mountains themselves had been forever scarred covered in a layer of trenches, forts and traps that made what had once, when Hannibal crossed the Alps a journey of hardship and suffering into one of suicide. Neither could progress any further though the Swiss communists managed to hold on to their captured Piedmont land. By the wars end the economies and social orders of both nations were in ruins. Piedmont's military force would take years to recover, while Switzerland's would never do so. To this day there is great contention and bitterness between the two nations, both of whch are constantly on the brink of conflict, though hesitant for fear of a repeat of the previous carnage.